Soccer-Bots used to manipulate social media in favour of Super League, says study

FILE PHOTO: Metal figures of football players are seen in front of the words "European Super League" and the UEFA logo in this illustration taken April 20, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) - Hundreds of bots and thousands of fake accounts run by 'troll farms' tried to manipulate social media debates in favour of the European Super League (ESL) after the project was announced last April, according to a study from a Spanish digital consultancy.

The study from Pandemia Digital, which was first published by Spanish news outlet El Confidencial, said several fake Twitter accounts amplified pro-ESL and anti-UEFA content in the 72 hours following the project's announcement.